Anna Patterson 1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve? The stasis at the beginning of the play involves Hwang making a petition against the casting choice for the lead in his musical, Miss Saigon. “Color-blind” casting was used during the casting process of Miss Saigon,which led to a caucasian man playing the lead Asian Role.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken? The intrusion that breaks the stasis is when Hwang finds out that Marcus, who he cast in a lead asian role in his adaption of Face Value, is not any percent Asian, and works to eventually force him to quit and by pretending that Marcus is, in fact, Asian. Hwang even changes Marcus’s name to Marcus Gee. This leads Marcus to have a successful career as an “Asian actor”, and be accepted and revered in the Asian community.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this? The unique factor about the time and place of the events is that the story starts in the middle of the drama, with Hwang already an established playwright. The play ironically focuses on the production of several plays, and the unique challenges Hwang’s plays present.
4. State the dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) The dramatic question that must be answered is “what does it mean to be Asian?”. “Can Marcus really be cast in a lead Asian role?”
5. Use Hwang’s “character” to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers. First, Hwang faces against society, or in the this case, the Actor’s Union. Hwang disagrees and petitions against the casting of a caucasian man in an Asian role for his musical, Miss Saigon. After, Hwang faces off against himself, as he casts a caucasian man in an Asian role. This challenges his own views of what it means to be asian. And lastly, Hwang again faces society as his father is placed under investigation for potentially being a Chinese “spy”.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Yellow Face. The most theatrical moments are when Hwang finds out that Marcus is not Asian, and tries to cover it up to the press, and during the interview with Hwang and the unnamed reporter.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
The stasis at the beginning of the play involves Hwang making a petition against the casting choice for the lead in his musical, Miss Saigon. “Color-blind” casting was used during the casting process of Miss Saigon,which led to a caucasian man playing the lead Asian Role.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
The intrusion that breaks the stasis is when Hwang finds out that Marcus, who he cast in a lead asian role in his adaption of Face Value, is not any percent Asian, and works to eventually force him to quit and by pretending that Marcus is, in fact, Asian. Hwang even changes Marcus’s name to Marcus Gee. This leads Marcus to have a successful career as an “Asian actor”, and be accepted and revered in the Asian community.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The unique factor about the time and place of the events is that the story starts in the middle of the drama, with Hwang already an established playwright. The play ironically focuses on the production of several plays, and the unique challenges Hwang’s plays present.
4. State the dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The dramatic question that must be answered is “what does it mean to be Asian?”. “Can Marcus really be cast in a lead Asian role?”
5. Use Hwang’s “character” to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
First, Hwang faces against society, or in the this case, the Actor’s Union. Hwang disagrees and petitions against the casting of a caucasian man in an Asian role for his musical, Miss Saigon.
After, Hwang faces off against himself, as he casts a caucasian man in an Asian role. This challenges his own views of what it means to be asian. And lastly, Hwang again faces society as his father is placed under investigation for potentially being a Chinese “spy”.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Yellow Face.
The most theatrical moments are when Hwang finds out that Marcus is not Asian, and tries to cover it up to the press, and during the interview with Hwang and the unnamed reporter.